Distributor vs Rights Management in Australia: Why You Need Both — and How Gaan Baksho Music Bridges the Gap

If you’re an indie artist, songwriter, or small label in Australia, you’ve probably heard about “distributors,” “aggregators,” “publishers,” “rights management,” “royalties,” “APRA AMCOS,” and more. It can seem like jargon soup.

Here’s the truth: distributing your music (getting it on Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) is only half the battle. Without managing your rights — registering your songs, tracking usage, and collecting global royalties — you leave money on the table.

In 2025 especially, with streaming thresholds rising, licensing disputes between platforms and majors, and global usage expanding, combining music distribution + rights management is essential.

That’s why Gaan Baksho Music does both: we distribute your recordings to DSPs and manage your rights globally — working with all CMOs and MROs, through reciprocal agreements, to collect every type of royalty quickly and license your assets worldwide.

What Distribution Does — and Its Limits

Distributors and aggregators (like DistroKid, TuneCore, Ditto, or Australia’s Gyrostream) focus on recordings:

• Delivering your masters to DSPs.

• Collecting recording royalties.

• Offering extras like YouTube Content ID.

But distribution alone doesn’t:

• Register your songs with APRA AMCOS or foreign societies.

• Collect performance and mechanical royalties from CMOs/MROs.

• Resolve metadata conflicts or split disputes.

That’s where rights management comes in.

What Rights Management Handles

Rights management is about the songwriting/publishing side of your work. It ensures royalties from every usage are collected globally.

At Gaan Baksho Music, we:

• Register works with APRA AMCOS and link ISWC↔ISRC.

• Collect performance royalties (radio, gigs, public play).

• Collect mechanical royalties, including US digital mechanicals via The MLC.

• Work with all CMOs and MROs worldwide — leveraging reciprocal relationships — so no royalty stream is left uncollected.

• Resolve conflicts, clean up metadata, and reconcile splits.

• Audit statements and chase down black box royalties.

• License your assets globally, ensuring your catalog is protected across every market.

Why You Need Both in Australia

• APRA AMCOS handles publishing royalties.

• PPCA covers neighbouring rights for sound recordings.

• OneMusic bundles public performance licensing.

• Without rights management, global royalties from reciprocal CMOs/MROs may be missed.

By combining both distribution and rights management, you get a full picture of your income and maximise earnings.

How Gaan Baksho Music Helps

Unlike most companies that only do one or the other, Gaan Baksho Music delivers a full-stack solution:

Distribution

• Upload to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon, Deezer, etc.

• Manage release strategy, metadata, and reporting.

Rights Management

• Register works with APRA AMCOS, PPCA, and global partners.

• Work with all CMOs and MROs worldwide under reciprocal agreements.

• Collect all types of royalties — performance, mechanical, neighbouring rights, sync.

• License your assets globally, unlocking opportunities in sync, broadcast, film, TV, gaming, and beyond.

• Provide transparent reporting so you see both recording + publishing royalties clearly.

Conclusion

Distribution alone is no longer enough. To succeed as an indie artist, songwriter, or label in today’s industry, you need a partner who can get your music out and ensure you get paid for every usage worldwide.

Gaan Baksho Music works with all CMOs and MROs globally, using reciprocal relationships to collect every type of royalty quickly and license your assets internationally. That means more income, faster payments, fewer gaps — and more time for you to create.